[JURIST] A court in Dhaka ruled on Monday that 41 defendants can be tried for murder for the April 2013 garment factory collapse that killed 1,135 workers. Initially charged with culpable homicide, the defendants were charged with murder [JURIST report] upon investigation of their irresponsible conduct. Investigators found that the defendants illegally added floors to the original five-story Rana Complex to compete in Bangladesh’s highly profitable garment exporting industry. Prior to the building’s collapse, the staff allegedly forced workers to stay in the unstable establishment despite concerns that the structure was visibly cracking. The building owner, Sohel Rana, is now being held in jail [AP report] while 16 others are free on bail. The Dhaka court has issued arrest warrants for the remaining 24 defendants and has ordered the police to submit an update when the court returns to the matter on January 27. If the defendants are convicted of murder next year, they may face the death penalty.

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh in September lifted a ban [JURIST report] on the release of a documentary film that depicted the rescue of a woman 17 days after the 2013 garment factory disaster. The accident drew attention [NYT report] to the plight of the poor in Bangladesh. In response, Bangladesh lawmakers approved new labor laws [JURIST report] in July 2013, which permitted unions greater power in the nation but created barriers to entry that some argue are impractically high. The changes came in an effort to update the Bangladeshi laws to meet international standards. Bangladesh has ratified most of the core International Labor Organization [official website] labor standards, including Convention No. 87 on freedom of association and Convention No. 98 on the right to organize and bargain collectively. According to the World Factbook [website], exports totaled USD $28.62 billion in 2013 and an estimated $31.2 billion in 2014.